Yuletide Lemonade
by Dongyrn
Summary: Team RWBY and their girlfriends celebrate the Yuletide in varying fashions. While Yang and Nora spread the collateral damage from an epic snowfight, Ruby and Blake enjoy the quieter side of the Yule celebration in Vale, and Weiss introduces her girlfriend Pyrrha to her sister Winter. Sequel to Trifecta. Yang/Nora (Pink Lemonade), Ruby/Blake (Ladybug), Weiss/Pyrrha (North Pole).
1. Chapter 1

**Standard Disclaimer:** All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily the glorious minds at Rooster Teeth, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing.

* * *

Beacon Academy  
One Week Prior To Finals

It had started out as a rather small affair, but it didn't take long to escalate.

Beacon saw its first snowfall of the season, several inches worth that blanketed the grounds of the prestigious academy. Most looked out at the picturesque landscape and saw the pristine beauty. There was, however, a certain mischievous couple who instead saw opportunity.

Yang and Nora had teamed up to ambush Ren and Jaune while the latter worked on building a snowman. Like any mission, they had meticulously planned their sortie. The perfect vantage point was found, ammunition was secured, and stealth was maintained at all times.

Once the pair had a rather large pile of snowballs stacked up behind their sheltering hedge, they stood up, a snowball in each hand, and let fly.

"Ambush!" Nora helpfully announced as the first hit knocked Jaune's hat off his head.

Ren turned, avoiding the first snowball by sheer happenstance, but Yang's follow-up got him square in the chest, knocking the lithe hunter-in-training back on his rear.

"This means war!" Jaune hollered, abandoning the snowman effort and instead quickly switching gears over to a snow fort. "Ren, distract the enemy!"

Ren rolled his eyes as he crouched behind the meager shelter of the partially-built snowman. "This is becoming a habit," he grumbled mildly. Scooping up a handful of snow, he took off in a run at an angle towards the sheltering hedge. Powerfully-thrown snowballs whizzed by his head with inches to spare as he cranked his hand back and let fly, only to have his projectile hit in midair by another one. The resulting cloud of snow temporarily blinded him, causing him to stumble. Three impacts later he was out flat on his back, gazing up at the grey sky and wondering if Yang and Nora needed another member on their snowball team.

Defection was not out of the question at this point.

"Mission accomplished," he called out weakly, not bothering to sit up.

"Aha!" Jaune yelled, leaping to his feet and flinging a snowball in the general direction of the hedges. He was immediately pelted with several more, popping his shield out to lend him cover as he scampered back behind cover again.

"Ren, we need a plan!" the blonde leader of Team JNPR called out.

"I've got one," Ren replied calmly from where he lay out of sight. "I'm good right here."

"Ugh," Jaune groaned, unwilling to accept defeat. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Team CVFY strolling by and giving him curious stares.

"Coco!" he called out gleefully. "Requesting assistance here!"

"For what?" the brunette asked wryly, swathed in a stylish dark brown cashmere overcoat.

Jaune poked his head out, only to duck back down to avoid another pair of projectiles. "For a snowball fight!"

Coco glanced at her teammates. While both Velvet and Fox wore eager grins, Yatsuhashi was as imperturbable as ever, simply shrugging to indicate his willingness to go along with her decision.

"Alright, then, time to add a little caffeine into the mix," Coco smiled anticipatorily, slipping her gloves on and marching forward.

The flanking maneuver was noticed by the entrenched blonde and orange-haired girls, who quickly switched targets to begin pelting the newcomers with vicious throws. Velvet giggled and skipped to the side, tossing a snowball of her own with her innate Faunus accuracy. Yang let out a yelp as the hit scored home.

Taking advantage of the momentary lull in suppressing fire, the defenders quickly shifted onto the attack. Yatsuhashi scooped up a large armful of snow to send it arcing over the hedge. Both Nora and Yang squealed from the artillery strike, jumping to the side and receiving several accurate throws from Coco and Fox once they'd been exposed.

"Yang!" the pinkette yelled as she scampered back under cover. "We need reinforcements!"

"I'm on it!" Yang yelled back, pulling her scroll out with numb fingers and dialing up her sister as she crouched behind a hedge. "Cover me!"

Up in Team RWBY's room, Ruby, Blake, Weiss, and Pyrrha were all snuggled up together on the floor to watch a seasonal movie. Ruby's scroll began to vibrate, and she pulled it out to answer the call. Before she could speak, she had to pull it back away from her ear, wincing from the volume.

"We need help!" Yang was hollering. "Outside courtyard, stat!"

"What is it?" Weiss asked, concerned, as Ruby leapt up to peer out the window. "Grimm? White Fang?"

"Nope," Ruby smirked. "Snowball fight."

Weiss let out an irritated sigh. "That oaf. I suppose she and Nora got in over their heads."

"Welll…" Ruby said slowly, craning her neck. "Looks like they're pinned down by Jaune, Ren… and all of Team CVFY."

"Wow, that's impressive," Blake commented. "So, do we help or sit it out?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ruby grinned as she turned. "Of course we help!"

"How did I know she was going to say that," Weiss grumbled, accepting Pyrrha's help in getting to her feet.

"Well, you _are_ her partner," the redhead smiled as she headed for the door. "I'll get my winter gear on and meet you in the hallway."

Within a few scant minutes the pair of couples were creeping forward around the edge of the building.

"Weiss, you scout ahead," Ruby whispered.

"Why me?" the heiress objected.

"Because you're dressed all in white and will blend in," her partner replied. "Besides, they won't be expecting us, it's safe."

"Fine," Weiss replied grumpily, stalking forward. "I'll let you know if the way is clear."

The other three waited anxiously as Weiss rounded the bend. All that was heard were several muffled _whump_ s, and then Weiss calmly walked back around to rejoin them, covered from head to toe in snow.

The heiress spit out a mouthful of the white substance. "The way is most certainly _not_ clear," she stated flatly. "I do believe they are expecting us."

"Will we let this affront stand?" Ruby demanded as a smiling Pyrrha carefully brushed the clinging snow off of her girlfriend's torso.

"No!" Blake replied with a feral grin.

"Then let's get 'em! Banzai!"

"Banzai!" the others returned, though Weiss' cheer was notably muted. With snowballs in hand, the four girls rounded the corner and flung themselves into action.

Weiss concentrated on getting to her beleaguered teammate and her girlfriend, maintaining a black glyph to the side that absorbed any snowballs flung her way. Ruby took off in a flurry of rose petals, flinging a pair of snowballs as she went. Velvet went flying backwards from the speed-assisted hit, her bunny ears flopping when she hit the ground, while Yatsuhashi simply batted the incoming strike away with his hand.

Fox and Coco held their fire until they saw Ruby skid to a stop, then let fly. Both snowballs hit her in the stomach, sending her to the ground. Yang quickly reached out to pull her sister to safety.

"Glad you could join the fight, sis!" the blonde said cheerfully.

"Happy to help," Ruby wheezed, trying to get her breath back.

Meanwhile, both Blake and Pyrrha were steadily advancing, pelting Jaune and Ren with hits while deftly avoiding the return fire. Jaune eventually resorted to simply hiding behind his shield as he made for his previous shelter of the partial snowman. Ren took advantage of the cover afforded by his team leader and would pop up every so often to keep their opponents on their toes.

Eventually, Weiss, Blake, and Pyrrha made it to cover with the other three.

"Right," Pyrrha said, her cheeks rosy and an excited twinkle in her eyes. "What's the plan?"

"Well, we're six on six now," Ruby started, gathering up some more snow into her gloved hand. "I say we go on the offensive and overwhelm them."

"That's your plan of attack?" Weiss asked skeptically. "Attack?"

"I can get behind this plan," Nora stated eagerly.

"It has the virtue of being nice and simple," Blake added.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Fine, let's do this."

Once everyone had a snowball in each hand, they shared a look. "Ready?" Ruby asked. "Then, let's go!"

The six girls leapt to their feet, ready to let fly. They were unprepared, however, for the barrage that assaulted them.

"Retreat!" Ruby yelled before getting a snowball right in her open mouth. She fell to the ground, gagging slightly as she crawled back under cover.

"What was that?" Yang asked worriedly.

"That," Blake said calmly as she shook the snow off of her hat. "Was at least three more teams."

"Those sneaky little buggers!" Nora exclaimed. "They countered our reinforcements with reinforcements of their own!"

"Well, only one thing to do," Yang sighed.

"Surrender?" Weiss asked hopefully.

"Nope! Call for more reinforcements!"

Fortunately both Sun and Neptune were still in town, and they dragged a less-than-enthusiastic Scarlet and Sage with them. Also, since both of Team RWBY's friends had started dating members of Team NDGO, who were visiting from Shade Academy as their winter break had already started, the entrenched girls were soon fortified by Nebula, Dew, Gwen, and Octavia. Gwen in particular was grinning eagerly in anticipation, though the undergarbed Dew knelt by her new extended team, shivering slightly.

"If I'd known a snowball fight was on today's agenda," the dark blonde Vacuo native complained, "I would have dressed warmer. It's not nearly this cold back home."

"Don't you worry, gorgeous," Sun grinned. "I'll keep you warm afterwards."

Blake snorted and slapped her monkey Faunus friend lightly on the arm. "Ease up there, lover boy. We have a fight to win first."

"We got everybody?" Ruby asked the crowded area behind the hedge. Yang, Nora, Neptune, and Pyrrha were busy tossing out random snowballs to make sure their opponents didn't approach too closely. "Right. Here's the plan, then…"

"Is it a better plan than just 'attack?'" Weiss asked humorously.

Ruby smirked and flicked her partner lightly on the forehead as she used to do to her so often. "Yes, it is. Team SSSN has the left flank, Team NDGO has the right. Keep them occupied and engaged until we reveal our secret weapon."

"Wait, secret weapon?" Nebula objected. "What secret weapon?"

"Well, silly, if we told you," Nora giggled when she dropped back under cover. "Then it wouldn't be a secret."

Yang by this point had dropped back and begin to roll balls of snow back uphill towards their impromptu fort, creating snowman-sized ammunition. Once she had four of them, she grinned and gave her sister a thumbs up.

"Okay guys, this is it," Ruby said anticipatorily. "Go! Go! Go!"

The pair of teams broke out from cover, laughing and giggling madly as they engaged the enemy.

"Ready Weiss?" Ruby asked.

The heiress clutched her left hand in her pocket. "I don't have all that much," she warned. "These four might be the limit."

"It'll be enough," Ruby assured her. "Nora, Blake, Pyrrha! Cover fire!"

The three girls popped up from cover and began to toss their meager snowball supply towards the advancing enemy, now looking to be perhaps a good quarter of the entirety of Beacon academy as their ranks swelled with eager participants. Yang crouched down and lifted up the first of the giant-sized snowballs.

Weiss flicked her wrist and a large white glyph came to life at Yang's feet. "Just drop it straight down," the platinum-haired girl advised, twirling her fingers to get the angle right. "Team CVFY first?" she asked Ruby.

"Yep!" the diminutive redheaded leader replied, scanning the battlefield. "Let loose whenever you're ready!"

Without further ado, Yang dropped the armful of snow onto the glyph and leapt back to grab another. As the snow arced over the heads of Coco, Velvet, Fox, and Yatsuhashi, Weiss pulled her other hand out and twirled it, using some of the dust she'd stashed in her pocket several days ago. The giant snowball increased in size tenfold, covering the entire area that Team CVFY occupied.

"Oh," Yatsuhashi intoned.

"My," Fox breathed.

"Kittens," Velvet squeaked.

Before any of them could move, they were blanketed under a good three feet of snow.

A stunned silence fell over the courtyard, broken after only a few seconds by Nora's maniacal laugh.

"Ahahaha!" she cackled. "Flee while you still can, puny mortals!"

Two more enormous projectiles were sent out in rapid succession, one towards each flank, quickly growing in size again and blanketing the opposition in deep snow.

Jaune struggled to emerge from the wintry prison. "Retreat!" he called out in panic. He finally got himself freed, only to be hit in rapid procession by his teammates, Nora and Pyrrha.

Weiss let the last artillery strike fly at the fleeing backs of the other students, just for good measure. Soon enough, the only ones left standing on the field of battle were the victors.

"Woohoo!" Yang cheered, pumping her fists into the air. "Now _that_ was an epic snowball fight!"

"P- p- p- please," Dew chattered as Sun rubbed her arms from behind. "C- c- can we g- g- get some hot c- c- coco now?"

"Yep!" Ruby grinned. "Hot coco courtesy of Yang and Nora, the instigators of this whole mess!"

"Fair enough!" Nora laughed.

"To the cafeteria!" Yang called out. Her announcement was met by cheers as the extended group gratefully made their way into the building in question.

Ren pulled himself upright, brushing the snow off of his torso. "Knew I should have defected," he grumbled.

"Was that an option?" Velvet asked, carefully wringing the wet snow out of her fluffy ears.

"We'll keep it in mind next time," Fox laughed. "Hey, Coco, you okay?"

The brunette team leader shook her head solemnly. "Defeat leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."

"Hmm," Yatsuhashi rumbled as he draped a friendly arm around her shoulders. "I know just the thing to wash it out and warm us all up at the same time."

Fox and Velvet grinned at each other. "Coffee," they sighed in unison.

The team made their way to follow the victors, Ren trailing in their wake.

Eventually Jaune poked his head out, having finally dug his way back out from the second snow bank he'd found himself buried in. "What, everyone left already?" he snorted. "Typical."

The blonde glanced up to see a softly smiling Ren standing next to him.

"Ren, you came back!"

"Let's go, Jaune," his teammate said, offering him a hand up.

"Hot coco?" Jaune asked hopefully as he regained his feet.

"Hot coco," Ren agreed. The two boys walked off of the field of battle together back to the warmth and laughter of the cafeteria.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey, look, it's a holiday special! Whee! I'm actually leaving this one open as I intend to add two more chapters to it, one each day before Christmas Day. I thought originally I'd just do one chapter from each couple's perspective, starting with Yang and Nora, but their activity in this first chapter sort of snowballed out of control. (See what I did there? Eh? Eh? Hmm, tough crowd.)

Couple of extra items to note. For starters, if you haven't yet picked up _12 Days of Shipping_ by the very talented **Solora Goldsun** , please do so. It's wonderful. They're writing one chapter for each day of Christmas, and a different pairing each time.

Also, I'm kinda leaning towards a Jaune and Ren ship here. (Why are they called Lie and Cheat?) Problem being, I can't write yaoi. (EDIT: Also I can't seem to keep yuri and yaoi straight. No pun intended, and apologies for the earlier typo.) My daughter, the lovely **Live to anger the World** , is on winter break, and I'm trying to convince her to co-author a piece with them in it to add to the _Lemonade_ collection. We'll see how that goes.

So, anyways, thanks as always for reading. This can be considered the sequel to _Trifecta_ , and the eighth story in the _Lemonade_ series.

Stay shiny!


	2. Chapter 2

**Standard Disclaimer:** All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily the glorious minds at Rooster Teeth, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing.

* * *

Beacon Academy  
Finals Week

"Blaaake," a quiet voice whispered from below the edge of the bed.

The Faunus glanced up from her book, curious. Ruby only got that tone in her voice when she really needed to get her attention, yet she didn't appear to be anywhere in sight.

And then the soft voice called out again. "Blaaakeyyy..."

Sighing humorously, Blake set the book down and leaned over to peer onto the floor. Her girlfriend was lying there, silver eyes like saucers.

 _Uh-oh, she's doing the face…_

"What do you want, Little Gem," Blake murmured, the corners of her mouth curling upward. They were all attempting to be as quiet as possible, as Weiss was the only one with an exam pending the next day. She'd abandoned the library as it was far too distracting, so instead the platinum-haired heiress had barricaded herself into her bunkbed. She'd tied sheets across the ends, building a fortress of solitude which only Pyrrha was allowed to disturb, so long as she brought an offering of refreshments.

"Can we go look at the lights in Vale?" Ruby whispered.

Blake's mouth finally broke into a fond smile. While she would refute the fact vehemently, the truth was she couldn't bring herself to deny the energetic little redhead anything when she was so intently pleading as she was now.

"Alright," she murmured in reply. "But then back to studying." All four of them had an exam the day after tomorrow, the last one remaining, but by this point they were fairly certain of their ability to regurgitate the information regarding the biological properties of Grimm when asked to do so. Even Yang had given up for the evening, as she'd kidnapped Nora and taken her ice skating along with Jaune and Ren.

Blake swung her feet around and pulled her black snow boots on. They were a thoughtful gift from Sun before he had left for home, warm and fur-lined.

With an excited little giggle, Ruby rolled over to the other side of the room and grabbed her own normal red and black combat boots from under Weiss' bed.

A disheveled face, framed by a halo of silver hair in disarray, poked out from the seam in the blanket fort. "What are you doing?" Weiss hissed like an angry King Taijitu.

" _Eeep_!" Ruby squeaked, wilting under the glare from her irate partner.

"We're going out," Blake explained gently. "To, um, make sure you aren't disturbed."

"Good," Weiss exclaimed shortly, pulling her head back in.

Ruby inched backwards with her boots in hand. "She's really scary when she gets like this," she moaned.

Laughing softly, Blake ruffled her girlfriend's hair. "Come on, you. Let's go hit the town."

They exited their room, hand in hand, and saw an exhausted-looking Pyrrha walking towards them with a steaming cup in each hand.

"Oh, thank you so much," the redhead gushed as Blake paused to hold the door open for her.

Ruby laid a solemn hand on Pyrrha's shoulder as she passed. "You are a brave woman," she intoned. "And are performing a most noble duty. We appreciate your sacrifice."

Pyrrha's mouth quirked as she regally inclined her head. "I expect ballads shall be sung of my heroism this eve."

"Most undoubtedly," Blake commented, her amber eyes twinkling. "The things we do for those we love…"

Pyrrha's tired face broke out finally into the grin she'd been repressing. "That we do," she laughed softly.

"Pyrrha, is that you?" an irritable voice barked out from inside the room.

"Yes, sweetie," the redhead sighed with a humorous roll of her emerald eyes. "I brought you hot coco."

"Oh, thank you, Pyrrha," the voice suddenly sobbed. "You're so good to me…"

Pyrrha gave the other two girls a wink as she entered the room. "That's because you're my wonderful little Snowflake, sweetie…"

Ruby and Blake shared a giggle as they stomped down the steps, the Faunus unusually awkward in her ungainly footwear.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Ruby sighed with a smile.

"What, Weiss and Pyrrha?" Blake asked.

"Well, not exactly Weiss and Pyrrha, just… Weiss and someone who'd put up with her. No, wait, that sounded mean, I didn't mean it like that…" Ruby scrunched up her face thoughtfully, which made the Faunus smile affectionately and put her arm around the shorter girl. "More like… someone who'd complete her."

"Ruby Rose, you are such a romantic," Blake chuckled lightly.

"Toldya, keep it under wraps. I got a reputation to maintain."

"Oh, sure, big time fearless team leader, can't let it out you have a soft side."

"Exactly!" Ruby snickered. "Gotta keep my team in line, you know. I got them all scared of me."

"Oh, for certain," Blake smiled, playing along. "It's that fearsome cloak of yours."

"Really?" Ruby asked, holding it out like wings. "Makes me look bigger and fiercer, right?"

"That's right," Blake laughed, pulling her girlfriend in closer and kissing the crown of her head. "My fierce little hero."

Ruby sighed contentedly and wrapped her arm around Blake as well. "So long as I'm yours."

"Always," Blake murmured as they walked, heads resting against each other.

They sauntered over to the pad and boarded the next outbound airship. As they sat, their fingers entwined, they gazed out the windows at the town below them.

"It's so very pretty from up here," Blake said softly.

"I like it better from the ground," Ruby asserted. "All the lights and sound and smells. The shop displays… especially the bakeries…"

The Faunus barked out a laugh. "Oh, I see. So you just want me along to buy you sweets?"

Ruby turned to regard Blake with solemn eyes. "No, Blakey, not at all. I want you with me because you're my world, and I can't enjoy the season without you with me."

Blake sucked in a surprised breath, letting it out in a shudder as she blinked back the tears. "Every so often," she murmured brokenly, "you really do romance the heck out of me."

"I don't try, really," Ruby replied, reaching up to cup the raven-haired girl's cheek.

"I know," Blake whispered, leaning into the touch and closing her eyes. "And that's what makes it all the more wondrous."

She felt Ruby lean in and gently brush her soft lips up against her own, making her shudder again, but in pleasure this time.

"You're the wonderful one," Ruby whispered in her ear as she rested her cheek against Blake's. "I don't know why you put up with me sometimes, really. But I'm glad you do."

"I might say the same of me," Blake whispered back. "I suppose maybe we're just good for each other, hmm?"

"Oh, definitely," Ruby giggled, leaning in slightly to nip at Blake's ear, making her yelp slightly.

"Tease," Blake grinned as the redhead pulled back. Ruby just gave her a cheeky wink before turning back towards the window, though she leaned backwards and into the Faunus' embrace.

Blake used the rest of the airship ride to silently contemplate Ruby's growth just since they'd started dating. She was certainly more confident in herself and in her abilities, most of her social awkwardness buried now under her concern over Blake's well-being.

 _Funny how having someone to care for, to care about, makes things clearer._

The Faunus had no illusions about her own history, with Adam and those who had been before him. Ruby, though… She was different, and in a wonderful way. When they were together, it was like she felt more complete, all the stress and tension from her past simply fading into insignificance. It didn't matter what she'd been or what she was. With Ruby, she wasn't a former White Fang, or a Faunus.

She was simply the girl that Ruby loved, and that was enough.

For her own part, Blake couldn't imagine her life without the energetic scythe-wielder anymore. She knew it was an long-term train of thought, one she'd never anticipated travelling down, but she could see herself growing old with this special girl.

Blake sighed softly. As usual, she was getting ahead of herself. For one, while she knew Ruby loved her, something like an everlasting commitment was likely the furthest from her mind. And also, they were training to take on the mantle of huntresses, a very dangerous job with not a terribly long life expectancy.

But, were she to be honest with herself, Blake could admit that she was possibly even a bigger romantic than Ruby was.

Physically, she was attracted to the small redhead like no other person she'd ever seen. The Faunus knew that was partially due to her existing feelings, but the bouncy redhead definitely made her heart skip a beat every so often, like when they would wake up in each other's arms, and Ruby would give her such a sleepy smile before snuggling in closer, even if just for a moment before they had to rise.

Blake knew that some day their relationship might take a more physical turn, but she also knew that it wasn't really all that important to either of them. What was important was the firm bond they'd formed, one based on wholehearted acceptance and love.

She was, without a doubt, the luckiest girl in all of Remnant, human or Faunus.

"Hey, Blake?"

"Hmm?"

"Um, we set down a few minutes ago. You ready to go?"

"Oh! Sorry Ruby," Blake said with an abashed smile. "Guess I got lost in thought."

The redhead tugged her to her feet, gazing up at her once she was toe to toe.

"Lien for your thoughts?" she asked, her silver eyes shining in the light from outside the cabin.

"Just how lucky I am," Blake replied honestly, smiling as she leaned down for a quick kiss.

"Pfft, luck?" Ruby scoffed as they walked down the ramp. "This is destiny."

Blake glanced at her girlfriend. "You believe in destiny?"

"Well, let's think about this," Ruby began solemnly. "For starters, the only reason I got into Beacon when I did was because I just happened to be in that dust store when I was to stop the robbery, getting Ozpin's attention so he'd let me in two years early. And then everything you went through to get there as well? And let's not forget how, after everything, the four of us ended up as a team through matching chess pieces and you partnered with my big sister. That's a really far stretch for luck. So, yeah, destiny."

Blake pulled to a halt, regarding the younger girl intently. "You are constantly surprising me, Little Gem," she said softly and with a bit of wonderment in her voice.

"Eh," Ruby shrugged with a grin. "Maybe you're just rubbing off on me."

"Hmm, are we perhaps rubbing off on each other?"

"Could be, I mean we're both more outgoing but in different ways now. And I catch you doing silly stuff, too."

Blake quirked her eyebrows. "Silly? Me?"

"Oh, yeah," Ruby snickered. "Don't think I missed the prank on Yang two weeks ago. Her bed didn't just magically short-sheet itself."

"You have no proof," Blake grinned, her eyes twinkling.

"I don't need it," Ruby grinned back.

"Well, she _was_ being snarkier than usual," Blake replied. "I just helped her loosen up some."

"Uh-huh," Ruby admonished, standing up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against her girlfriend's once more. "I love you, Blakey," she murmured.

"I love you too, Ruby," she murmured back. With one last press of their lips, Blake tucked the smaller girl under her arm. "C'mon, let's go see some decorations."

They headed further into Vale, their boots sloshing through the wet wintry mix that lined much of the sidewalks. Ruby's eyes shone with excitement at each window display they passed and each house decorated for the season.

Eventually they pulled to a halt next to an unexpected sight.

"Well, that's different," Ruby murmured, her brow creased.

The house was a simple affair, with a small porch and only a single story. But the front lawn was filled with luminaries, leaving only a small path open leading up to the porch where a large portrait had been set up. It was of a beautiful woman, with long flowing blond hair and green eyes. Propped next to the portrait was another of an older couple, a man and a woman, with a single candle in front.

"Do you suppose they lost a daughter?" the small redhead asked curiously.

"No… look at the other portrait," Blake replied softly.

"Blakey, my eyes aren't as sharp as yours, and I don't wanna be rude and walk up there."

"Oh, sorry. I think the portrait is of the older woman when she was younger. I think he lost his wife."

Ruby nodded slowly. "That's so sad," she murmured. She gave a small sniffle, wiping a tear away.

Looking at her with a little concern, Blake wrapped her arm back around her girlfriend's shoulder and gently pulled her along. "Hey, let's go look at more lights, okay?"

"Okay, Blakey."

As they walked on, Ruby seemed lost in thought, often not even noticing some of the displays they passed. Eventually Blake steered them into a small cafe and ordered the two of them hot coco. They sat together at a small table, blowing on their drinks while Blake observed her girlfriend closely.

"Hey," Ruby finally murmured, still staring at her cup. "Do you suppose they had kids?"

"Could be," Blake replied, taking a careful sip of her hot drink. "It was an awfully small house, but that doesn't mean much."

"Maybe they're grown up and moved out," Ruby continued quietly. "And now he's all alone."

The Faunus reached over to clasp Ruby's hand. "You're giving this a lot of thought," she commented.

"Well, I know what it's like to miss someone during the holidays," the redhead replied softly. "And it sucks."

"Oh, Ruby," Blake sighed, tears of her own forming. "I'm… I am so sorry, I didn't even consider…"

"No, it's okay, Blakey, really. I mean, yeah I still miss my mom, I do every day. But now?" Ruby gave her a brilliant smile. "I have you now, so everything's okay."

Blake sniffled, wiping away the few tears that escaped. "Yeah, you do have me," she whispered.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, holding hands and smiling at each other, before they both took another sip from their drinks.

"Can I ask you something?" Ruby spoke up hesitantly.

"Sure, anything," Blake assured her.

"Um, what were your plans over the winter break?"

"Oh, I suppose we never really discussed it, did we… Well, I have nowhere to go, really, so I figured I'd just stay on campus. There are a few other students staying behind as well."

"Oh." Ruby glanced down at their clasped hands before giving hers a squeeze. "Do you… wanna come home with me? And Yang?"

Blake didn't even hesitate. "I'd love that, actually."

"Yay!" Ruby gave a little happy bounce in her seat, her good humor restored. "I'm still giving you your gift tonight, though."

"Well, fine, but then I'm giving you yours as well."

"Works for me. Ready to head back?"

"I suppose it's time to face the angry Ursa again, yes."

Ruby giggled as she got up. "Oh, she's not so bad, more of a… an Ursa cub, really."

"That's bad enough."

"Well, true… Oh, hang on one sec…"

Ruby walked up to the counter and picked up a bag of holiday cookies tied with a festive bow. She dug into her pockets for enough lien to pay for it, and managed to cover the full amount.

Discarding their empty drink containers, they set back off the way they'd come, walking hand in hand. As they approached the house with the memorial again, Ruby gave her girlfriend's hand a squeeze before releasing it and walking up the illuminated pathway.

Blake watched with patient affection as Ruby left the cookies on the doorstep and then returned to her side. They continued their stroll wordlessly back towards the airship pad.

"Hey, Blakey," Ruby murmured, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "What, um… I mean, where do you see yourself, like, in the future? Like, I dunno, twenty years from now?"

The Faunus blinked her eyes, startled by the question. _Though I suppose I shouldn't be, this beautiful girl is far more complex and introspective than she lets on. And I'm lucky to be the one she feels comfortable revealing all of herself to._

She decided to be honest with her girlfriend again, as she owed her that much. "I was thinking much along those lines earlier," Blake sighed with a smile. "I can see myself being a huntress, fighting to protect civilization… and fighting alongside you. Actually…" She had to clear her throat, her own nervousness showing. "I can't imagine a future without you in it."

"Oh." Ruby nodded thoughtfully before giving her a cheerful grin. "Good. Me neither."

They made their way back to their dorm room, happily snuggling on the airship and holding hands otherwise. They paused outside of their room, listening intently.

"I don't hear any growling," Ruby whispered.

"Maybe the beast went to sleep," Blake whispered back.

"What are you two doing?" an imperious voice demanded from behind them.

Both of the girls turned with a startled squeak, tangled up in each other so that they fell back on their rear ends.

Weiss was standing above them, one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. She looked less disheveled but was still in her sleepwear.

"It lives!" Ruby said fearfully.

"Don't make any sudden moves," Blake murmured. "I understand they hunt by sensing motion."

Pyrrha, standing behind her girlfriend, snorted a laugh from behind her hand. Weiss just rolled her eyes, though her lips were quirked up at the edges.

"Very funny," she stated flatly. "Pyrrha was just relaxing me, but I need to get back to studying, so move. Please." She added the last bit as an afterthought, but it was far more genuine and effortless than it would have been before she'd begun dating the amazonian redhead from Team JNPR.

"Relaxing?" Ruby asked innocently as she awkwardly rolled to the side. "You could have stayed in the room for that."

"I didn't… We didn't… It wasn't like that!" Weiss declared hotly, her cheeks blushing furiously. "She just gave me a massage! And besides, Yang and Nora returned!"

"Okay, okay," Ruby laughed. "No need to get so defensive."

Weiss let out a small growl before stalking past them, opening the door, and walking into their room. Not even a full second later she was back again, her blush intensified, as she closed the door behind her.

"The room is not yet ready," she announced, arms crossed and staring up at the ceiling.

Blake and Ruby shared a giggle from the floor where they still sprawled. "Shoulda knocked first," the small redhead commented.

"We weren't gone that long," Weiss grumbled.

Pyrrha walked forward, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and tucking the platinum-haired girl under her chin. "We could always go back to my room," she murmured.

Weiss sighed and opened her mouth, likely to protest that she needed to get back to studying again, when the door across the hallway opened to reveal Jaune and Ren.

"Oh! Hey guys!" Jaune said cheerfully. "We're gonna go into town, anybody want to come along?"

"No thanks!" Ruby replied with a smile. "Just got back from that!"

The two boys gave them friendly nods before heading out. Weiss and Pyrrha looked at each other intently before the smaller girl grabbed her redheaded girlfriend by the hand and dragged her, giggling, back into Team JNPR's room and slamming the door shut behind them.

"Are we sleeping in the hallway tonight?" Ruby complained.

Blake chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Doubtful. We'll just make ourselves scarce for an hour or so, she'll need to get back to studying soon enough."

The diminutive redhead laughed softly as she accepted help to her feet. "Well, maybe Weiss will be even more relaxed after this."

"One can hope."

Yang's voice hollered from behind the door, stating that it was safe to enter, and the couple slipped back into the room.

"Just so you know," Blake said, her eyes firmly fixed on the floor as she headed to fetch her gift. "Weiss and Pyrrha are occupied in the other room…"

"Which is otherwise unoccupied," Ruby added with a snicker as she crawled up on her bunk to retrieve her own present.

"...And we're going to be in the lounge for an hour." Blake stood up, her large rectangular gift tucked under her arm. "So no need to rush."

"Oh thank Oum," Nora giggled, her voice muffled from under the sheets. "'Cause I wasn't finished."

"Annnd that's enough details, thank you!" Ruby called out, her face blushing as she exited the room with her gift bag in hand.

Blake closed the door on Yang and Nora's shared laughter before catching up with her girlfriend.

"Does that still embarrass you?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, well, only because it's Yang," Ruby replied. "It's weird thinking of her doing, you know…"

"Then you can guess how difficult it would be for her to imagine you doing such activities."

"Well yeah, I totally get that. But it's not like I'm gonna try and stop them, or anything. I just don't like, well… Nora is so _open_ about everything, you know?"

Blake laughed softly. "I suppose it's only Yang's restraint that keeps her from sneaking something in when we're all sleeping in the same room."

Ruby gave a wordless shudder, causing Blake to laugh again as they entered the lounge. It was only partially filled, Coco and Fox occupying one large chair as they drank what would undoubtedly be coffee, and a few other second years that Blake didn't know by name.

The couple found a chair in the corner of the room, sharing a friendly nod with the two Team CVFY members as they passed.

"I want you to open your gift first!" Ruby said excitedly as she snuggled into Blake's lap.

"Alright," Blake smiled, accepting the gift bag thrust into her hands. Ruby clasped her fingers together, practically vibrating in place, as the Faunus removed the tissue paper and pulled out her gift.

It was a plush purple knit hat, incredibly soft and with a small black bow on the side.

"Oh, Ruby, it's lovely," Blake stated happily, rubbing the hat against her cheek. "And so soft!"

"That's not the best part!" Ruby whispered almost inaudibly. "It's made with extra room and materiel up top, especially for Faunus with ears on the top of their head!"

Blake wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, gathering her into a tight hug. "That is so incredibly thoughtful," she murmured. "I absolutely love it."

"Yay!" Ruby cheered, turning her head so that she could capture Blake's lips in a kiss. "So, can I open mine now?"

"Yes, you may," Blake smiled, handing the heavy present over.

"Oof! This feels like a textbook!" Ruby glanced suspiciously at her girlfriend. "It's not, is it?"

"Of course not!" Blake snickered. "Open it!"

Ruby tore into the wrapping paper to reveal a large book, certainly the size of one of their textbooks. However, this one was filled with five hundred cookie recipes.

"Oh. My. Oum." Ruby looked at the tome as if it were a weapons manual. "You are the absolute best, this… This is…" She dropped the book to her lap so that she might fling her arms around Blake's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she murmured brokenly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Little Gem," Blake smiled softly into Ruby's hair. "Happy Yuletide."

"Happy Yuletide, Blakey."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yep, pure sappy fluff this time around. Next chapter, the last one, should go up tomorrow for Christmas Eve, though it will be a little more angsty.

Thanks for reading, and much love to my followers and favoriters!

Stay shiny!


	3. Chapter 3

**Standard Disclaimer:** All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily the glorious minds at Rooster Teeth, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing.

* * *

Beacon Academy  
End of Finals Week

Weiss Schnee was hiding.

She wouldn't come right out and admit to it, of course. The platinum-haired heiress merely assured everyone how busy she was after finals were over as she bade them farewell, what with everything she'd been putting off to study. Her training had suffered terribly, and there were books for the next semester that needed a jump on…

Hiding from a rather determined huntress-in-training, however, was in itself an exercise in futility.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Pyrrha asked quietly as she sat down next to her girlfriend in the upper-class dormitory common room.

"Not… exactly…" Weiss murmured in embarrassment. "I just, er… wanted to avoid awkward questions."

"Hmm," the redhead pondered with a knowing smile. "Like, perhaps, why you are not going home for the holidays?"

"Yes," Weiss replied testily. "Questions like that."

Pyrrha laid a single finger on the top of the book that her girlfriend had buried her nose in and gently brought it down so that she could see her face. Weiss blushed guiltily, her ice blue eyes darting around the room.

"Talk to me, Snow Angel," the redhead pleaded softly. "I want to understand."

"How can I make you understand?" Weiss whispered, squeezing her eyes shut against the memories that threatened to bombard her. "How can I possibly make you understand what it was like growing up, never good enough, never elegant enough, never… _perfect_ enough to please my parents. Especially my father." She sucked in a trembling breath. "I've spent these past wonderful, blessed months away from all of that, away from that… that… _prison_. I can't go back Pyrrha, I just can't."

Pyrrha scooted closer to her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shaking girlfriend and pulling her in tight. "But why?" she murmured.

"Because I'll lose myself, this person I've become," Weiss replied, desperation lacing her words. "I can't survive that environment like I am, I'll have to turn back into the person I once was, and… and then I'll lose you." She tucked her head into Pyrrha's shoulder, her worries and fears that she'd been suppressing coming to the fore and leaking down her cheeks in despondent tears. "I can't lose you, Pyrrha…"

"You won't lose me, I swear it," Pyrrha reassured her quietly. "Not over something like this. I know you now, Weiss, better than I have anyone else in my life. That said…" She placed a gentle kiss on top of the platinum crown of hair. "I don't want you to be miserable, either. Can you stay here, then?"

"Well… I have permission to from the school, yes. I just haven't… well… I have not talked to my parents."

"Are they expecting you?"

"Perhaps? I don't know, really. They could be vacationing somewhere else this holiday, or even working elsewhere, I don't know."

"Well, then. I suppose we have one of two options to pursue. Either we don't tell them anything and see what the ramifications are, or we let them know you will be staying here."

Weiss opened her eyes finally, brushing her tears away. "We?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course, 'we,'" Pyrrha smiled. "Are we not in this together?"

The heiress choked back a small sob. "I love you so much, my beautiful Amazon warrior," she whispered brokenly.

"And I love you, my little Snow Angel." Pyrrha traced the tear lines down her cheeks, gently smoothing the worry lines there. "Would you like my opinion?"

"Please."

"It is the harder path, but if you notify them ahead of time then they might be less upset with you if you were simply not to show up."

Weiss sighed. "You're right… I suppose I should. I just…"

"Don't be afraid," Pyrrha whispered. "I'm here with you, and I'll stay by your side no matter what."

Nodding slightly, Weiss pulled out her scroll. "Okay," she sighed, slowly tapping out a brief message. "Does… does this sound acceptable?"

"Well, you know your parents, are they the type to respond positively to something that simple without question?"

"Oh, I'm sure there will be questions. And yelling. There always is. But this will suffice."

That evening, Pyrrha tucked her emotionally overwrought girlfriend into her bed. Just about everyone else had left for the holidays, even Blake had gone home with Ruby and Yang. She herself was easily able to use the excuse of needing more training to stay as well.

The redhead sat on the edge of the bed in her nightgown, gently stroking her lover's hair and willing her to relax. It didn't take long for the heiress to fall into an exhausted slumber, though a slight frown remained on her face.

"How long have you been letting this build up?" Pyrrha murmured quietly to herself.

A light out of the corner of her eye distracted her, and she glanced over to see Weiss' scroll lit up. She'd made sure that Weiss had put it on silent first so as to get a decent night's sleep. Picking it up, she saw the visage of a stern-looking white-haired man, labelled simply as 'Father', as an incoming call.

"No, you don't," she murmured again, this time with steel lacing her voice. "You do not get to disturb my Snowflake tonight. She's mine."

Pyrrha smiled softly to herself at her possessiveness as she slid the phone under her discarded clothes. _I've never really had anyone to be possessive over. And now that I do… I feel the urge to protect her from everything. I know I cannot, and she has a powerful inner strength of her own… But in this case, perhaps, I can help shield her from harm._

She slid under the covers and gently gathered the heiress into her arms as she laid on her back. Weiss reflexively curled around her, and the frown on her face finally dissolved into a content smile as her platinum hair spread across Pyrrha's stomach.

Pyrrha closed her eyes, wearing a content smile of her own, and drifted off to sleep.

Saturday Morning

The next morning dawned bright and early as they'd forgotten to draw the blinds. The sky was cloudless for a change, though it was still cold enough out to allow the fallen snow to remain on the ground.

"Ugh," Pyrrha moaned, throwing an arm over her eyes. "What is that bright thing?"

"I believe it's called the sun, my love," Weiss giggled sleepily.

"Well, can you kill it for me?"

"No, but perhaps I can distract you." Weiss slid her body up on top of Pyrrha's so that they were face to face. Drawing the redhead's arm back, Weiss caressed her lips against her cheek, working her way down her collarbone.

"Mmmm," Pyrrha murmured appreciatively. "Now _this_ is a nice wakeup."

"Yeah, I could get used to this," Weiss smiled, trailing her tongue up the redhead's long, slender neck and causing her to shudder slightly. "Having the room to ourselves, that is."

"Perhaps I could as well," Pyrrha whispered, lacing her fingers behind her lover's neck and pulling her in for a lovingly languid kiss. "However," she continued once they broke apart, "I have to pee."

Weiss snorted as she rolled to the side. "Way to kill the mood there, Nikos."

"Would you rather I had an accident on your bed?"

"Ew! No!" Weiss gave her a helpful push out of the bed. "Now you sound like Yang!"

Pyrrha laughed as she got to her feet, padding towards the restroom to take care of her morning business.

When she returned, however, Weiss was no longer in the same mood she was before. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her scroll.

The redhead sat down next to her and slipped an arm around her waist. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked, though she was fairly certain she already knew the answer.

"He called seven times," the heiress murmured as a tremor ran through her body. "No messages. Oum, he must be furious…"

Pyrrha sighed and rested her head on Weiss' slender shoulder. "I suppose you should call him back, then."

"I suppose I should. Do you… want to leave?"

"Do you want me to?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, I do not," she replied in a small voice.

"Then I will stay by your side. Call him."

The platinum haired girl took a deep breath and nodded on the exhale, tapping the key on her scroll. She plastered a falsely polite smile on her face reflexively as she lifted it up to her cheek.

It must have been immediately picked up, as she gave a little jump. "Yes, hello father," she began. "I'm sorry I missed your…" She trailed off as the volume coming from the scroll increased.

Pyrrha couldn't hear the words, though she could sense the basic gist of the furious barrage. Weiss was wincing from the onslaught, but kept her composure and bore it as stoically as possible.

Watching the emotions flashing across her favorite sky-blue eyes, Pyrrha suddenly was overcome with a loathing for any man who could make his own daughter feel so immensely worthless.

"But-" Weiss tried to interject at one point, only to be overridden by the continuous yelling from her father.

Pyrrha's grip around her waist tightened as Weiss' composure began to break down. She was shaking like a leaf, tears trailing down her cheeks as she visibly wilted.

The very sight of it was making Pyrrha's heart break.

Finally the tirade seemed to wind down, and Pyrrha clearly heard the final words. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

The redhead kept her hands in contact with Weiss' body as she slid down to the floor so that she was kneeling in front of her, eye to eye. She smiled reassuringly to her, cupping her girlfriend's wet cheek and giving her a confident nod.

Weiss nodded back, a bit more shakily but with as much confidence as she could muster. She cleared her throat quietly.

"I am no longer a child, father, nor am I under your thumb," she began quietly, the steel behind her voice increasing with each word spoken. "If you wish to disown me, then do so and get it over with. I will become a huntress, and my own person, not yours. I will find my own way. Oh," she added with a faint smirk. "And I also have a girlfriend that I'm staying with for the holidays. Give mother my love."

With that, she pulled the scroll away from her cheek and ended the call before her shocked father could issue a retort.

Both of the girls stared at the object as if it were a foreign thing.

"I did it," Weiss whispered incredulously. "I… I actually did it…"

"You most certainly did," Pyrrha smiled, brushing the tears away from her girlfriend's cheeks. "I am so proud of you, Weiss… How do you feel?"

"Like I am about to be sick."

"Well, I can certainly understand-"

"No, really, I'm about to be sick. Excuse me."

Pyrrha humorously noted to herself that perhaps a new milestone in their relationship was reached that day, as she held her girlfriend's white tresses back while she was bent over a toilet.

"Do you believe there will be repercussions?" Pyrrha asked over breakfast once they had showered and dressed for the day. The cafeteria was still open, though the food selections limited and of much smaller portions.

"I do not know," Weiss said slowly, stirring her oatmeal with her spoon. "I have never defied him like this, not really. I called him out on his ultimatum. Will he actually follow through with it?" She shook her head bemusedly. "I simply do not know."

"Well, I know one thing," Pyrrha smiled, running a finger along Weiss' forearm. "I meant what I said earlier, I am so proud of you for what you did. That took far more courage than I think I would ever be capable of."

"What?" Weiss scoffed. "Please, you are far more courageous than I…"

"No, I mean what I say, my heart. I… My family and I do not get along very well, which is why it was easy for me to stay here. If they were the type to actively prohibit me from doing so? I don't know if I could have been as brave as you."

"Even if it meant staying with me?" Weiss asked with a knowing smile.

Pyrrha sighed and smiled back. "Yes, you do know me well. I would move all of Remnant to stay by your side."

"And a pack of Beowolves couldn't tear me from yours," Weiss replied softly, leaning over the table to give her a sweet kiss. "Now, let's finish up breakfast, I want to take a walk with you."

The grounds of the academy were quiet as they strolled arm in arm. The normal bustle of daily activity was missing, even the faint noise from the track was absent as there was nobody out running.

"It's like a dream," Pyrrha murmured. "Being here when it's practically just the two of us, for all intents and purposes. No school to worry about or training to do…"

"Mmhmm," Weiss chuckled. "You're getting antsy already, aren't you?"

"Well…" Pyrrha grinned. "Perhaps we could spar a little later on today?"

"I think I can work that into my schedule."

"I would be most obliged. I know what a busy woman you are."

"Oh, I am. I have a girlfriend, you see, who deserves all my attention, and I am most eager to lavish it upon her."

"Really, lavish?" Pyrrha snickered. "I like the sound of that. Shall we retire to our room?"

"Yes, let's," Weiss replied with a sultry smile. It quickly dissolved, though, as her scroll began to vibrate. "And this time it will be me to kill the mood," she sighed, pulling it out.

Pyrrha glanced at it and then back to her girlfriend. "Is that… your sister?"

Weiss nodded wordlessly as she placed the scroll to her cheek. "Hello Winter, how are you?"

She listened for a few seconds, nodding while staring off across the grounds. "I see… when? Very well… yes, goodbye."

As she closed her scroll she grabbed Pyrrha by the hand and began to drag her off towards the dorms.

"Weiss, what is it?" Pyrrha asked worriedly.

"Father," she gritted out, "has sent Winter to check up on me."

"Oh… I thought you two got along?"

"Well enough. I also thought she was no longer under his thumb either, since she is a member of the Atlas military. But she is coming nonetheless."

"When?"

Instead of continuing towards the dorms, Weiss steered them the other way towards the airship landing pads. Pyrrha's heart sank as she realized the implications.

"She's… coming now, isn't she?" Pyrrha murmured.

Weiss nodded. The sound of an approaching airship was now audible as she pulled the pair of them to a halt.

"Okay," Weiss breathed. "I am no longer the same girl she met last. I am confident, I am composed…"

"And you have me," Pyrrha added, grasping her right hand firmly in her left and bringing it up to her lips.

"And I have you," Weiss agreed softly. "And so everything else pales in comparison."

"You are so sweet," Pyrrha giggled, giving her hand a squeeze before facing forward.

The airship touched down to disgorge a woman of military bearing and obviously closely related to the girl at Pyrrha's side. Winter Schnee wore her platinum hair in a bun on the top of her head, while the long bangs in front partially covered her right eye. Her clothing style resembled Weiss' as well, at least so far as the color scheme went, though it had more of a martial style to it.

Winter marched forward, stopping within a few feet to peer down at her shorter and younger sister.

"Hello, Winter," Weiss greeted her politely. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I believe you know damn well what you owe the pleasure to," Winter murmured, a slight smile quirking one side of her mouth. She turned to examine Pyrrha from head to toe. "Am I to assume this is the girlfriend father was so paroxystic about?"

Pyrrha nodded politely, reaching forward with her free right hand to shake Winter's. "Pyrrha Nikos. It is a pleasure to meet Weiss' sister. I have heard much about you."

"Pyrrha Nikos," the older woman repeated. "Well, Miss Nikos, I have certainly heard much about you as well. Though not from my sister," she added with a reproving glance at her younger sibling.

She turned slightly then and nodded towards the pair of soldiers that had accompanied her. "Remain with the ship," she ordered curtly. "I will return momentarily." With that she clasped her hands behind her back and began to stroll across the grounds. "Will you accompany me?" she asked.

Weiss and Pyrrha shared a look, tinged with a bit of nervousness, and hurried to her side.

They walked along in silence for a full minute before Winter spoke again. "It is lovely here," she murmured. "The whole place changes with the snowfall, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Weiss agreed calmly.

"So," Winter sighed. "Let me see if I can adequately summarize the situation without father's rhetoric. You, Weiss, have finally decided to cut ties with him and make a name for yourself as a huntress and not a Schnee. You do not wish to return home for the holidays, and instead wish to remain here with your girlfriend, Pyrrha Nikos. Is this correct?"

"Yes, that is the essence of it."

"Good."

Weiss blinked her eyes uncertainly. "Er… Good?"

"Yes, good. Weiss, last we talked I told you to make a choice. Now that you have, I will fully support you."

"You… you will?"

"I can tell the difference in you just from that last meeting. You are more confident, more sure of yourself. As if you were finally content on the path you were on." Winter glanced over at the couple. "Though, perhaps, some of that contentment can be attributed elsewhere."

"It can, yes," Weiss smiled up at Pyrrha softly. "I am truly happy, and for the first time… I feel as if I know who I really am."

Pyrrha smiled back. "You were always that person, Weiss. You're just more comfortable being her now."

They gazed lovingly at each other for a few seconds before Winter gave a little chuckle, breaking the reverie. "Well, I can certainly see why the two of you are together," she smiled.

Their meanderings by this point had taken them back towards the airship.

"So, you have to leave already, so soon? Again?" Weiss asked quietly.

"I'm afraid I have to, yes," Winter sighed. "Father pulled me off of an important assignment with his clout, but I must get back to it soon."

"Oh." Weiss glanced over at her lover. "I… I wanted you to get to know Pyrrha, though."

"Weiss…" The older woman smiled softly. "I can see all I need to. I'm very happy for the both of you, and I do look forward to getting to know you, Pyrrha. But I expect we will have quite some time in order to catch up with one another, do we not?"

Pyrrha nodded confidently. "I am not going anywhere," she stated.

"Good," Winter replied with a nod. "You take care of my little sister, then. And as for you…"

Weiss let go of Pyrrha's hand finally so that she might give her sister a warm hug. "It was nice to see you again, Winter."

"And you as well, sister of mine," Winter replied, returning the hug. "Do not concern yourself with father, I will handle him. I expect you are prepared to do this on your own financially?"

"I am," Weiss assured her. "I'll find a way."

"Very well," Winter replied as she stepped back. "I do not think it will come to that, but your assurance of such will help."

The older woman turned as began to walk back to her airship. "Be well, Weiss," she said over her shoulder.

"And you as well, Winter," the platinum-haired girl replied.

The couple stood on the platform and watched the airship as it left, even as it dwindled to a pinprick in the sky.

"So… what just happened?" Pyrrha asked softly.

Weiss turned to her lover with a smile. "Winter is on my side. And I'm free of father's influence. Also," she grinned, running a finger up Pyrrha's arm. "I believe we had a date planned for our bedroom."

"Oh, we did?" Pyrrha grinned back, allowing the smaller girl to tug her forward. "Well, then, how can I refuse my little Snow Angel anything?"

Weiss gave Pyrrha's hand one hard pull to bring her in close. "I love you, Pyrrha," she said earnestly, her sky-blue eyes filled with the warmth she only gifted to her girlfriend. "And I want to show you just how much I love you. I want to worship you."

"Well," Pyrrha replied somewhat dazedly. "Um, that's… that sounds quite lovely."

"Oh," Weiss breathed as she leaned in for a kiss. "It will be."

Giggling, the couple raced off across the grounds towards the dormitory, their excitement for each other lending them speed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Whew! So, as I mentioned before, a little more angsty. There have been many depictions done concerning Weiss and Winter's parents in numerous fanfics, but we finally got to see what Winter herself is like in Season 3. It's obvious to me that her big sister really does care for her, and might also have been a bit of a buffer in the past between Weiss and her father. Ultimately, though, I believe Weiss suffered emotional abuse in her home, which is just as damaging as physical abuse, and as such is what I was trying to portray here.

It's kinda funny how different each couple has turned out to be. It might be argued that Weiss and Pyrrha moved pretty fast with their relationship considering who they are, but I think it is exactly who they are, and their compatibility with each other, that helped them bond so quickly.

So, this should, by all rights, end this little holiday tale. I might just have a bonus chapter to tack onto the end, though… we shall see…

Many thanks for the favorites and follows! **AntonSlavik020** , many thanks as always for the kind words. Always happy to provide Ladybug fluff to a fellow fan.

Stay shiny!


	4. Chapter 4

**Standard Disclaimer:** All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily the glorious minds at Rooster Teeth, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing.

* * *

Velvet sighed as she sat her cup of coffee down. "I wish I had your confidence."

"Confidence can be learned or faked," Coco replied evenly. "But it starts within you, kid. You gotta be confident in yourself first, and we've been working on that this year, right?"

The bunny Faunus nodded slowly as she reached for the sugar. She had a major sweet tooth, and Coco couldn't help but wince as she watched her add another cube to her already over-sweetened drink. She preferred her java black as night, personally, though each member of her team had their individual preferences.

The brunette smiled to herself as she remembered how none of the others of her team had touched the stuff before they formed last year. Now it was a bond they shared, among many, even though their individual preferences reflected their distinctiveness.

"I _have_ been trying, really," Velvet finally said in her soft voice. "And I appreciate your efforts, honestly I do."

"But it's not enough to talk to him?"

"No… not yet."

"I told you he'd be receptive."

"But that's not quite enough, I'm afraid." Velvet finished up her coffee and rose from the table at the small outdoor cafe they were visiting in Vale. "I'll get there, I will…"

"I know you will, Velvet," the Team CVFY leader replied warmly. "And you ever wanna talk about it again, you know I'll be there for you."

Velvet wrinkled her nose as she smiled. "I know." She glanced down at the table. "You going to open that?"

Tapping a manicured nail on the thick envelope, Coco gave a knowing smirk. "Eventually."

Her teammate rolled her eyes and giggled as she headed out. "You are so bad…"

"Keeps things lively," Coco snickered.

She watched the bunny Faunus as she made her way towards the airship landing pad to take her back up towards Beacon. They'd picked this spot primarily because of the close proximity to the pad, so that Coco might observe her and make sure she made it safely.

Velvet was a highly capable huntress-in-training, especially when wielding dust in combination with her innate semblance. But she was still a Faunus in a very Faunus-unfriendly world, and Coco cared for all of her teammates like a mother Ursa.

Once certain she was safely on board the waiting airship, Coco returned her attention to her now-lukewarm cup. She signalled the waitress for a refill, who promptly brought a pot over to top her off with more of the dark elixir.

There were other cafes with better brew, but this one, at least, had wonderful service.

As she sipped from her cup, Coco reflected on the year they'd had so far. It had been an exciting one, no doubt, though filled with its ups and downs. She winced at the memory of their defeat in the Vytal Festival games, but brushed it aside. Arena fighting just wasn't her thing, and she could admit she'd made a mistake putting herself and Yatsuhashi in the doubles. Her partner could handle himself just fine, but she was more of a heavy hitter.

Grimm fell before her by the dozens, but she simply didn't have the agility to be an asset in the sort of fight she'd found herself in.

Coco sighed to herself. Hopefully in two years Velvet would finally come into her own enough to participate in the next games. The girl would be a terror on any battlefield, be it Grimm or arena, if only she would accept what she could do and trust in her own abilities and instincts as much as Coco did.

Partnering up with Yatsuhashi in her first year gave the Faunus stability and a pool of calm to draw from, but it was the presence of Fox on their team that had done wonders for the timid girl. The blind boy with hair like burning embers was nothing but confidence, a trait Coco found admirable. He'd managed on his own for some time now, using his semblance to become hyper-aware of threats while fighting.

With a soft smile, Coco brought herself out of her reverie and slid the white envelope towards her. She deftly slit open the side, allowing a hotel room key to drop to the table, along with a small scrap of paper. Her smile grew into an anticipatory grin as she read the paper, noting the hotel name and room number before tucking it and the key into her cashmere overcoat pocket.

She included a generous tip with the lien she left on the table as the brunette stood and adjusted her ever-present sunglasses. With her usual confident swagger she strode off down the street towards her destination.

Passing a florist, she paused and smirked as an idea struck her.

Ten minutes later she was on her way again, a bundle of a half-dozen fragrant red roses cradled in her left arm.

As she walked, she reflected on the fact that none of her team had finals tomorrow, the last day of the semester. They had one more day together before they went their separate ways for the holiday break.

Coco smiled to herself as she thought of her home, a place she rarely seemed to have the time to visit. She'd get to see her cousins this time, and her older brother Joe should be there with his family as well. Her nieces should be four this year, likely injecting the Yuletide with an abundance of enthusiasm.

She'd miss her teammates, though. It was tough not to, as close as they'd become over the past year and a half.

Eventually she reached the hotel and unhesitatingly strode inside, through the ornate lobby and up the elevator to the third floor. Once there she entered room 313 with her key, closing the door behind her gently.

"Honey, I'm home," she snarked, shrugging of her coat and tossing it onto the chair located nearby.

"Took you long enough," Fox smirked from where he sprawled in the luxurious bed.

Coco had to pause as she took in the lean, toned body of her dark-skinned lover. Her partner, in more ways than one, was looking good enough for her to take a bite out of. Fox was reclining casually against the pillows piled up at the head of the bed, naked, with only a light sheet covering him up to the waist.

"Oh, my," Coco purred as she slinked forward, dropping the roses onto the small table on the side of the room. "Is all this for me?"

"I'd have giftwrapped it, but I know how impatient you get," Fox laughed as he slid to the edge of the bed, letting the sheets fall from him. "Now come here so that I might undress you."

Coco stood obediently still, allowing his slightly calloused but nimble fingers to dance over her body, removing her sunglasses and beret while deftly undoing her various fasteners.

She'd learned early on that her blind boyfriend took great pleasure in using his sensitive fingers to map out her body, and it gave her delicious shudders when he did so. For her part, she was highly appreciative of the sight of his muscular physique. He was the only person she'd ever been with who caused her to, quite literally, feel the need to restrain herself from drooling.

"You brought me roses," Fox murmured as he ran his fingers lightly along the outside her now-bare legs.

"I know how you like the scent," Coco replied breathlessly, running her own fingers through her lover's orange hair.

"Almost as much as I enjoy the scent of you," he returned before planting a kiss on her abdomen just below her belly button.

Coco gasped lightly. "Flatterer," she moaned as he trailed kissed up her torso.

"I would never lie to you," Fox murmured against her lips as he rose to his full height.

Instead of replying, Coco just pressed her body tightly into his, devouring him in a passionate kiss.

They stood like that for some time, their naked figures swaying slightly, before they separated with a shared sigh of contentment.

"We only have tonight," Coco reminded him gently.

"And I don't anticipate getting any sleep," Fox grinned.

"Damn right you won't," she smirked, giving him a push so that he would fall backwards onto the bed. His hands snaked out to pull her down with him, and she landed on top of his torso with an uncharacteristic giggle.

Fox's face became serious as his sightless eyes seemed to bore up into her. "I love you, Coco."

"And I love you, Foxy. Happy Yuletide."

"Happy Yuletide, love."

* * *

 **A/N:** Yay bonus chapter! Even if it is a short one. See, I can do more than just yuri! I wasn't as into Team CVFY at first, but they've grown on me. I might just have to start doing more with them at some point.

So, that ties this little story up. To those that celebrate it, Merry Christmas, and for everyone, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season this Yuletide. See you after!

Hugs once more to my favoriters and followers. **AntonSlavik020** , I'm happy you're enjoying the North Pole pairing. When I started out, Pink Lemonade were my favs, followed by Ladybug. But yeah, Weiss and Pyrrha are really growing on me, I think they have made their way to the top of my favorites now. Glad you liked the chapter!

Here's the full listing of the _Lemonade_ series, in order:

 **Pink Lemonade  
** **Just A Little Ladybug  
** **North Pole Weather  
** **Snow Angel  
** **Sweet, Sweet Lemonade  
** **Ladybug Trails  
** **Trifecta  
** _ **Yuletide Lemonade  
**_ **Eros  
** **Lotus Song  
** **Strawberry Lemonade  
** **Ladybug Stitches  
** **North Pole Mirror  
** **Fallen Ladybug  
Sugar Rush  
North Pole Faith**

Stay shiny!


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